Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-24
BOOKS FOR CLERKS.
Department Libraries and What They
Contain.


Department l.ibrarsc. and What They
Ceatain-
HOW THEY WE'RE ESTABLISHED AND WHY THEY
HAVE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. COLLECTIONS ON SCI
KSrrfic AND TECHNICAL sUBEcrs-BErTER ACCOM-
NoDArroSs NkEpEp.
Department libraries are great institutions. =
said Librarian Fitzgerald, OF the War Department
library, 10 STAR reporter. They give the Of
ncias and clerks chance 10 Improve their leisure
time with profitable reading and form valuable
sources OF reference on Important questions. We
have here" waving his hand toward tho great
shelves that NIL large room on the third noor OF
the Department building, 'about 1900 volumes
including 400 law books, 1000 In general liter
allure and large number OF magazines and
periodicals. Besides. there Is q number Of eSecu-
tive documents and reports not included In this
innate. This library was given great impetus, In
fact really begun, by Joel PoInsett who was secre
tary OF War during Van Burens administration. In
1887 and IL has gradually grown TO Its present
tent. During the war the hor ~ room, In the old
ONCE and Lincoln and seward used 20 cone over
here to wait for the latest dispatches from the
frontier. That old clock up there, pointing 90 an
room then, AMI no doubt many a time have those
two stood and waited for the hours 70 roll by.
while the ticks OF the Instruments told the story
OF the achievements and losses OF the forces IN the
South. 0ften nowadays 10 prominent retired on
GERS come In here 10 read, and IL Is not uncommon
TO see quite a gathering OF war heroes nodding
over books or quietly chatting with each other.
WHAT TIE SHELVES CONTAIN
I'VE are particularly strong In works OF refer
ence, and especially on military TOPICS" he con-
tinued. "WhIle IL Is not our aim 10 make this H.
brary exclusively professional yet great deal OF
attention is lid 70 such subjects as are OF value
ana interest 20 military men. About 1000 people
have access to the shelves for drawing books and
strangers are at liberty to come here 20 read.
the library open for reference throughout the week
Credit is due TO Mr.. Tweedale, the CHIEF clerk for
the great interest that he has taken In the welfare
and growth OF the library"
In the law library, a small room TO the east OF
the main room, there II . case containing about
nrty fac SMILES OF medals presented 70 heroes OF
the war OF 1872 and the Revolution. one of the
treasures or the library Is the Brady collection OF
war photographs which are being printed and
mounted by the War Records once from the plates
purchased by the Government at large expense.
THE WAR RECORDS
have been published as far as and including the
nineteenth volume, making, with the added parts
TO some OF the volumes 2s books. OF each OF these
l1.O0O copies have been distributed by the library
according TO act OF Congress These fi,ooo are
divided as follows: To the Executive Departments,
LOCO; 10 officers II the Ariny and contributors %
the work, 1000; 10 such libraries, organizations
and Individuals as may be designated 10y senator's,
Representatives and delegates, 1900; sold by the
secretary or War; 700 Nearly all Of the 1000 each
volume were sold, at prices ranging nom IS cents
70 for ~ ssn5s IN cSIa a,n ana rs dollar more
mostly by subscription The reports are 70 be
published In four series, the hrst embracing
the formal reports, both Union and Confederate,
o all OF the operations during the war, and con-
tained In about 80 octave volumes, averaging
800 pages each. The % series will comprise about
making the sntire set consisting OF nearly 100
volumes, and probably $50 or more books
HOW THE LIBRARY Is MAINTAINED.
The library Is supported by drafts on the De-
partment, which provides for the purchase OF new
books and subscriptions TO periodicals. The re-
pair, printing and binding are done at the Gov
eminent Printing ONCE on reluisition. The new
portion OF the building which the War Depart
ment WILL soon occupy contains a room 10 b. used
purpos OF SUCH WORK Mr.. Fitngersid. VINO mas mas
been connected with the library since 1872 has
about nine assistants, who are Kept nsrd at work
straight, and sending documents 10 subscribers.
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT LIBRARY
is on the fourth floor OF the building, directly
over the east entrance. The central room is hand
somely finished In bronze and coIored marbles, and
a dome above gives light that is meiiowed by
stained glass. This library Is unique In It's scope
and character, its volumes, 1900 an number being
confined exclusively 70 naval topics Win the
exception OF the Annapolis Academy library this
Is the only one or the Kind IN the country, and Is
acknowledged to be one OF the fnest and most
complete collection OF works these sublecIs In
the world IL has been In existence for many
only been during the last nve or six years that,
under the charge or the present librarian Prof. J.
Russell Soley, IL has assumed It's present scope and
Dimensions.
HOW THE BOOKS ARE DRAWN
The works are drawn by officers and clerks OF
the Department for acerLain perioi. but IL often
happens that officers are engaged In special In
vestigations concerning subjects connected with
their duties, and then they are given facilities
for drawing number OF works bearing on the
mi nafl shs alxara a.
jects OF the naval profession calling for special
lines OF literature are seainanship. ordnance, naval
tactics. Navigation, ship building. ana maritime
engineering, but owing TO the recent advance
ment OF science In naval affairs. and particularly
Oh account OF the building OF our new navy, there
are many other branches that have TO be given
place Oh the shelves OF this library. such as
physics, dealing with the use OF electricity
Ia snip lighting, search lighting, and
the nrlng OF guns, metallurgy, made necessary by
the universal OF iron and steel In modern ship
building ocean neteorology, laws OF storms and
currents, maratime and International law,
ply. and geographical works descriptive
OF foreign countries. Besides the bound vol
umes there are a large number OF service
ton 10 be obtained In the foreign periodicals de-
voted 70 naval affairs, TO the most important OF
which the library subscribes.
There Is an annual appropriation from Congress
OF 81, 900 for the purch Use or new books and Pc
r1odlcals and the repair Of volumes Lieut.. Rush Is
Prof. Soley's assistant In the work OF caring for
THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT
library Is under the root. near the nles and fire.
escapes. Mrs. II. l. Klmball has been the librarian
for over twelve years and, under her care, this
collection has become one OF the best
general Departmental libraries in the city,
IL contains between $4,000 and 10000 volumes
The clerks OF the Department are permitted 20
draw books any day between the hours OF 4 and -
- and 1890, and and 5, and the members OF
their families are allowed 10 draw between
8 and l.. on "Wednesday the employees
OF the Bureau OF Eugraving and Printing
send q messenger with "a market basket
together with their cards and orders He usually
takes away from sixty 70 seventy books About
IL, 600 volumes are drawn during a month. The
library is supported by an occasional appropria-
needs. There are several valuable
sets. q great numDer OF encyclopedias,
and a well-stocked reference case. Among
the curiosltes are directory u
Washington FOR 1876. which is quite unique, the
original papers concerning the purchase oil Louisi
ana by this country, and Franklin's ledger, used
during his term OF ONCE AZ Postmaster-General
giving valuable Information as 10 English
political history from 1865
STATE DEPARTMENT BOOKS.
The most extensive Departmental collection Of
books is In the state Department, which boasts OF
0 library OF over Is, 600 volumes This library was
established under Jefferson, and has developed,
like all the Others, 70 its present dimensions by
gradual accumulation There is no special at
tention paid - any particular line OF subjects al
though, OF course, works bearing on International
affairs md diplomatic relations are numerous
HISTORIC kRIIcs
mr.